Mike Klis

Klis: If Jaguars dance, Broncos pick No. 8

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders can lock themselves into secrecy from now until draft day, and it might not matter.

There is a potential trade so logical, it all but leaps off the draft value chart.

Providing the Jacksonville Jaguars are willing partners, the Broncos could easily leap from their No. 12 overall draft pick to No. 8. (Credit the Walter Camp draftniks for first pointing this out).

The No. 8 spot would be significant to the Broncos if their preference is defensive tackle B.J. Raji, quarterback Mark Sanchez or Texas defensive end/outside linebacker Brian Orakpo.

As it stands now, someone would have to lace Raji's brownies between now and April 25 for the projected 3-4 nose tackle to fall past Green Bay with the No. 9 pick.

The San Francisco 49ers, having failed with Alex Smith as their franchise quarterback, cannot allow Sanchez to drop beyond their No. 10 pick.

And Orakpo, a physical freak who possesses the greatest pass- rushing potential, probably wouldn't get past Jacksonville at No. 8 or Buffalo at No. 11.

According to the last known draft value chart, the No. 8 draft pick is worth 1,400 points while the No. 12 pick is worth 1,200. To those who had a little too much Saturday night fun, that's a difference of 200 points.

That extra third-round pick the Broncos got from the Bears in the Jay Cutler trade? It allows the Broncos to sacrifice their first third- round pick, No. 79 overall. The No. 79 pick is worth 195 points on the draft value chart.

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Or close enough.

McDaniels and Xanders would never state their preference with their No. 12 pick. But it's no secret they may have to move up to get him.

Youthful minds.

Forget his lineage to New England and Bill Belichick. By getting superstar-like compensation in return for Cutler (Kyle Orton and two first-round picks, besides the third-rounder), Mc- Daniels could eventually generate comparisons to another Boston sports boss — Theo Epstein.

If only McDaniels can break the Elway Curse.

Epstein was 28 when he was daringly hired by Red Sox president Larry Lucchino to become general manager of the storied major- league baseball franchise following the 2002 season. Epstein was 30 when he built a team so strong, it broke the Curse of the Bambino by winning the 2004 World Series.

And as Rockies fans may remember, the Epstein-built Red Sox won another Series in 2007.

The sports nation is becoming increasingly fascinated with the notion that young minds explore beyond conventional wisdom. It may or may not be a coincidence that Joe Ellis, the Broncos' chief operating officer and Pat Bowlen's right-hand man, got his first sports job as a Red Sox vendor.

With the Broncos winning just one playoff game in the 10 years since quarterback John Elway retired, ideas floating outside the normal noggin should at least be worth a try.

No news, good news?

With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, the silence from the NFL office on Brandon Marshall is an encouraging sound to those locked behind closed doors at Dove Valley.

If Marshall were to receive a stiff sentence for violating the league's personal conduct policy, commissioner Roger Goodell, in the name of competitive fairness, likely would have issued his finding before the draft, as he did by levying a three-game suspension on Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch.

To wit: The commissioner understands that if he was going to suspend Marshall for, say, eight games, the Broncos would have to draft a receiver within the first two rounds.

Marshall, who served a one-game suspension last year, was arrested March 1 in Atlanta following an argument with his fiancee. Charges were dismissed the next morning.

That the charges evaporated almost immediately, coupled with ample evidence that Marshall has genuinely tried to become a better person in the past year (see his volunteer time with at-risk children), may cause Goodell to decide against a harsh ruling that would potentially ruin a promising career.

Marshall can still expect some punishment. But there is reason for the Broncos to hope his suspension will be closer to zero games than eight.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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